Pocketknife, etc.



Dec. 1s, 19m 11,4726@ J. T. SIBLEY POCKET KNIFE, ETC

Filed Nov. 18 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 1 8, i923..

FF E',

JAMES T. SIBLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

s onnrfininn, Emo.

Application ledlovember 18, 1922. Serial'No. 60l,705.

junction with pocket knives of the autoinatie type, so called, in which the blades are protruded and retracted by means positioned within lthe handles.

lThe object of my invention is to attain a simple, inexpensive, but effective structure of this character, which may be conveniently w. 1 L .n 'L 1 i 1 manipulated w 1th iacility, and in which tne blades l lare automatically and `positively locked in open orclos'ed position withoutdirect finger contact therewith, and also in which yabsolute rsafety is attained in that he blades cannot accidentally protrude when fthe knife is closed, and vare held rigid when extended for use. To this end the invention consists in the specific construction, conibination and arrangement-of parts described and claimed, distinctive features relating to the blade advancing, retracting and locking iechanisni, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, 'l exem plify a practical embodiment of the essential features of my` invention in a two-bladed knife, although l do not limit myself thereto, since a single-bladed knife may be thus equippeds and modifications in minor ldetails resorted to without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention in this respect. Furthermore, the drawings show the structure and component parts 'thereof on an enlargedscale for convenience of illustration.

With this understanding,

Fig. l, is an elevation-of the front vor open edge of the knife,y with one bladefextended, and both blades broken away -in part;

Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation'taken upon plane of line2-2, Fig. l;

Fi'g. 3, is a llongitudinal sectional eleva-- tion 'taken upon plane of lineS-ti, Fig. 2;

Fig. l, is an 'inner face elevation of what may -be designated as the right side plate of the knife handle;

Fig. 5, is an elevation of the outer face 'of said right side plate of the handle;

Fig. t5, is an elevation of the inner face of the left side plate of the handle;

Fig. 7, is a iew of one ofthe knives` detached;

Fig. 8, is a pers*i ective VietT of one o-f the blade-actuating toggles;

Fig. `91 is a cross section taken upon the planes of the vline 9-9, Fig. 5;

Fig. l0, is a perspective view of the right slide plate;

Fig. il, is a like View of the left slide plate;

Fig. 2, is a view illustrating function of the blade actuating ytoggles.

The handle H, of my knife consists essentially of the right side cheek plate i, and the left side cheek Aplate L2,both rigidly attached to the spine h, the thickness of which latter prescribes the width of theblade channel C.

l herein show and describe the installation of t vo knife blades B, B2, within the handle H, although said `handle H, may be provided with only a single blade, if so desired, with but slight change ofi-structure, as hereinafter set forth. Y

rllie side or cheek plates i, h2, yof 'the handle are not only spaced and held apart by the` spine h, but also by the fulcruins j?, j", constituting the medial portions of the screw bolts 7", jf, said medial fulcrum por tions f, j, being of `greater diameter vthan 'the other portions of the bolts 7, j", so as to forni bearing shoulders for the opposed inner surfaces of the side plates 7L', 72,2, of the handle il, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, of the drawings. rThe tlireadedends of the bolts f, engage with nuts f2, if?, countersunk `in one kof the side plates-of ythe handle, as also shown clearly in said Fig. 3.

rllhe shank or tang '5, of each knife blade B, is formed with an elongate slot" bx, ei:- tending' in parallel alignment with the blade, the side wallsof which slot 6X, stiaddle a fulcruin f, while admitting of a prescribed degree ofinovenient and play of -said blade, as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

rllhe tang Zi, of each blade B, is also formed for pivotal connection vwith one ei;- tremity of a toggle T,'tlie yother extremity 'of which'toggle is pivotally connected with to Fig. 9, which, it will be remembered, is

a slide S', S2, fitting within a recess in the inneriiace ol one ol the side pieces ot the handle. Thus, where the handle H, isV provided with two blades B, B2, as shown in the accompanying drawings, theV toggle T, of one blade B is pivotally connected with the arm s, of the slide S, while the toggle T, of the other blade B2, is pivotally connected with the arm s2, ot the other slide The body plate of the slide S, is slidaby positioned in the recess 7L, 'formed for the purpose in the inner tace oi the handle cheeh piece 7L', while the body plate of the other slide S2, is correspondingly slidably positioned in a recess 7t22, formed lior the purpose in the inner face of the handle cheek piece 71,2, as will be seen by reference more particularly to Fig. 3, of the drawings. 'The main difference between the two slides S', S2, is that S, is formed with a spring arm sx, for contactual engagement with the body plate ot the other Vslide S2, thereby holding both slide body plates apart and against the rear walls olrl their respective recesses 7b, 7L22, by elastic resilient pressure, which does not, however, prevent their being forcibly slid longitudinally in either direction within said recesses by means ofthe linger studs s, S22, which protrude through longitudinal slots 71,13, 7b2, formed `for the purpose in the cheek pieces 7L, 71,21. 72,14, and 7L, are loclring abutments by means oi which the slides S, S2, may be .heldin advanced or retracted positions.

rlhey are situated within the. recesses 7L,

72,22, but are of less thickness than the depthV of said recesses, as will be seen by reference a cross section upon the planes et sig-ii g line 9 9, Fig. 5, so taken as to show both rllhe of said locking shoulders in section,

Adifference between the depths ot the recesses 72,, 7L22, and the protrusion oi the locking abutments 71,14, 7L24, therein, is sul-licient to admit of the movement or the slides S', S2, past said locking abutments 7,514, 7x24, when the said slides are pressed inward by 822, against the constantly to hold said slides against .the rear walls oit their respective recesses 72., 7h22, as indicated more particularly in F l and 3, of the drawings. The slides S', S2, are 'formed with shoulders for engageinen, ywith said locking abutments 7L14,7t2t, when yin either advanced or retracted positions.

rlhus the slide S, is formed with a shoulder 812, for holding` the slide in retracted position (as in Fig. 2) and with a shoulder S12, :tor sustaining'the slide in advanced position, (as in Fig. l0).

rllhe tang or shank l), ol each blade is formed with a rearwardly projection tongue 7J', for engagement, when the blade is in extended position, with a sustaining shoulrllhe operation is as follows: The blades being in closed positions within the hollow handle, the blade required is opened up andy advanced by means of the linger stud attached to the slide involved. Thus, by way of illustration, and with the understanding that the modus operandi isr essentially the same in the case et either blade, Vwe will as-k sume that blade B', is closed and is required tor use, in which case the linger stud s, is pressed inward so as to enable the slide S, to clear the locking abutment 7L, and said slide S', is then pushed baclrward, causing the toggle T, to roclr the blade B, on its ulcruni f, as illustrated in Fig. 12. The continued backward movement oli' the slide S', rocks the blade B', into the position indicated by dotted lines in said Fig. l2, and the completion of the movement when the stud e, contacts with the rear end wall of the slot k12, as inFig. 3, retracts the blade B', sufficiently to allow the tongue o, on its tang 7), to engage with the sustaining` shoulder 7%, on that end ot the spine 7a, as shown in Fig. 2,-the tang slot 72X, admitting of this retract-ile movement. ln this position the shoulder S12, of the slide S, automatically enga-ges with the rear end of the locking abutment 7i, when the stud s, is released, thereby allowing thespring 8*, to reassert itself and force lthe slide back against the rear wall of the `recess 7L. ln closing the blade the operation is reversed,

the slide S', being pressed inward to clear the abutment 7L, and then moved forward, Y

causing` the toggle T, to return the blade if, to its normal position within the handle l'l, the release vof the linger stud s, allowing the slide to resume its position against the back wall of the recess 7A, with its shoulder 813, in contactual engagement with the loch-V ing abutment 7N.

lt is to be noted in this connection that the spring` sx, by bearing tie body plate or' the slide S2, vfunctions tor both slides, in that it tends constantly .to holdboth against the rear walls of their recesses 7L, 7L22, as will be seen more particularly by reference to 3, oli the drawings, affording the essential elasticv resilience for this purpose n lt will be seen that by my construction and arrangementJ or' parts, the blade is automaticaliy and positively held and locked in both positions, and can only be released by manipulation effected by means ol the linger stud, which is'sustained in normal position by elastic resilient pressure.

ln order to provide for the replacement of blades when desired, l prefer 'to form the tangs thereol:l with pivotal studs 702, 712, and-to forni the toggles T, of bendable sheet metal with pivotal holes t, t, for engagement with said studs b2, b2, on the tang of the blade, so that lby spreading the sides of the toggle T, apart slightly the blade may be disengaged therefrom and a new one substituted,-the sides ot the toggle being again bent inward to engage the pivotal studs b2, b2, on the new bla le. For this reason one or both of the handle cheek pieces 7a.', ft2, are preferably secured to the spine 7L, of the handle by means ot nuts H as indicated more particularly in F ig. 3, so that the toggles and other operative parts of the knife are rendered accessible upon occasion.

l,Vhat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

l. ln a ltnite of the character designated, the combination oi a blade, the tang of Which is formed with an elongate fulcrum slot and Awith a locking tongue, a fulcrum on the handle extending through said elongate slot in the tang of the blade, a toggle nivotally connecting the tang of said blade with a slide mounted in a recess in the handle, elastic resilient pressure means tending constantly to hold said slide against the back Wall of said recess, said slide formed With shoulders for contactual engagement With a locking abutment in the handle and with a lingerV stud, and said handle formed With locking abutment and With an elongate slot through which said iinger stud protrudes, and also with a shoulder 'for engagement with said locking tongue on the tang of the blade, substantially in the manner and for the purpose. described.

2. In a knife of the character designated, the combination of tivo blades, the tang of each of Which is formed With an elongate iulcrum slot and With a locking tongue, fulcrums on the handle extending through said elongate slots in the tangs of the blades, toggies pivotally connecting the tangs ot said blades with slides mounted in recesses in the handle, elastic resilient pressure means tendconstantly to hold said slides against the bac; Walls of said recesses, said slides Jformed each with shoulders for contactual engagement with locking abutments on the handle and each with a `iinger stud, and said handle termed with locking abutments and with elongate slots through which the finger studs protrude, and also with shoulders i'or engagement with said locking tongues on the ta n gs oi the blades, substantially in the manner and vfor the purpose described.

8. In a knife of the character designated, the combination oi a blade, the tang of which is formed With an elongate iulcrum slot, With a locking tongue, and also With pivotal studs, a iulcrum on the handle extending through said elongate slot in the tang` of the blade, a sheet metal toggle pivotally connecting the tang of said blade with a slide mounted in a recess in the handle and formed With holes for enagement with said pivotal studs on the tang of the blade, elastic resilient pressure means tending constantly to hold said slide against the back Wall of said recess, said slide formed With shoulders for contactual engagement With a locking abutment in the handle and With a finger stud, and said handle formed With a locking abutment and With an elongate slot through which said finger stud protrudes, and also With a shoulder for engagement With said locking tongue on the tang of the blade, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. In a knife oi' the character designated, the combination of two blades, the tang of each ot' Which is formed With an elongate :tulcrum slot and with a locking tongue, fulcrums on the handle extending through -said elongate slots in the tangs of the blades, toggles pivotally connecting the tangs of said blades with slides mounted in recesses in the handle, elastic resilient pressure means tending constantly to hold said slides against the back walls of said recesses, said slides formed each with shoulders for contactual engagement With locking abutments on the handle and each With a linger stud, one of said slides being formed with a spring arm bearing against the other slide, and said handle formed with locking abutments and With elongate slots through which the finger studs protrude, and also With shoulders for engagement with said locking tongues on the tangs of the blades, substantially' in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. In a knife of the character designated, the Combination of a blade the tang oi' which is formed with an elongate tulcrum slot, With a locking tongue, and also With pivotal studs, a fulcrum on the handle extending through said elongate slot in the tang of the blade, a toggle .pivotally connecting the tang of said blade With a slide mounted in a recess in a side plate of the handle and formed with holes for engagement with said pivotal studs on the tang ot the blade, pressure means tending constantly to hold said slide against the back Wall or" said recess, a handle cheek piece, and screws detachably securing said cheek piece to the spine of the handle substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

JAMES T. SIBLEY.

Vitnesses.:

Guo. WM. MIATT, MARGARET K. HANSTEIN. 

